In honor of the Super Bowl, I thought I'd share some of my recent kid book writing. I've been working on a a series of books that combine football with grammar and figurative language. When the idea was first pitched to me, I thought the combination was an unlikely one. However, I have learned to embrace the unlikely, even if I don't entirely trust it!

This series, entitled Football Words, is part of a continuing collaboration between Sports Illustrated and Capstone Press. It is the second football series I have worked on, the first being a set of three books for young readers(K-2) that included the titles Football ABCs, Football Colors, and Football Opposites, which is my favorite.

Here are a few pages from my upcoming SIK Football Onomatopoeia book. You can test your onomatopoeia knowledge at the end!

Grunt! Whap!Whoa! Sounds of action and excitement fill a football game. Today’s game features onomatopoeia, words that sound like the things they describe. Let’s get in the game and look for football onomatopoeia. Wow!

Crunch! Onomatopoeia sometimes sounds hard. Pads and helmets clack and clatter as defensive players fall upon a lone receiver. But don’t worry! Football players are strong and sturdy. This one’s tough enough to survive a few moments at the bottom of a football player pyramid.

Squish! Mud oozes up and over the shoes of straining players. Splat! Soggy linemen fall as they struggle to tackle the running back. Onomatopoeia helps describe the muddy mess of football in the rain..

In an action-packed game, football sounds are everywhere. Can you find the onomatopoeia words used to describe the action in this play? Two defenders turn with a grunt, too late to stop a pass that thuds into the chest of a leaping receiver. The crowd gasps, and cameras click to catch the action. Wow, what a catch!